Two-position electrical change-over slide switches



J. CLAVEL Aug. 3, 1965 TWO-POSITION ELECTRICAL CHANGE-OVER SLIDE SWITCHES Filed June 19, 1961 Inventor Jea r1 C/a ve/ United States Patent 0 lean Clavcl, Nanterre, France, assignor to LElectro- Qomrnutation (Elwin), Zainvillcrs-Vagney, France, a French body corporate Filed June 19, 196i, Sei- No. 118,954 Claims priority, application France, June 23, 196i 83%849, Fatent 1,268,593 4 Claims. (Cl. 260-16) The present invention relates to two-position electrical switches and has for an object, improvements therein.

When the simultaneous switching of several electrical circuits, in particular those circuits carrying small currents, such as are associated with electronic circuits, must alter a state of functioning only in order to pass on to a second state (for example the passage from one tuning range to another in a radio receiver having two wavebands only) or else, when an entire sequence of successive states must be obtained, each one of them can be taken to the preceding state (for example in a radio receiver, having more than two wave-bands, the direct passage from one to another which does not follow by simply pressing upon the lrey of a keyboard), it is generally appropriate to use a switch or a group of switches, each or" which is fixed in one or other of two positions by the rectilinear movement of movable members, this movemeut resulting from a thrust exerted in one direction or the other.

in such a device, each of the circuit changes to be ellected simultaneously is reduced, or may be reduced, to a simple bipolar change, requiring only three fixed contact members, and a movable contact member. One of the three fixed contact members, viz. a common contact, which is connected to the circuit to be altered, is then electrically connected by the movable contact to one or other of the two other fixed contacts which are respectively connected to the circuit-modifying elements.

Up to now the manufacture of switches of this kind has come up against difi'iculties which have increased as the number of changes to be effected simultaneously has increased, and this is more and more the case as the art develops, so that the use of switches is almost always limited to applications which only need few changes.

To a very large extent these difficulties come from the fact that the movable contacts are rigidly connected to a sliding actuating member, which prevents them from being suitably applied at the same time against the co-' operating fnred contacts. With such an arrangement it is in fact practically impossible to ensure that, at least over a certain length, the fixed contacts are all arranged in the same plane, that this plane does not take on a certain direction other than that of the sliding member, nor that this latter is guided with sufficient exactitude. And even if the movable contacts have sufiicient ilexibiity to compensate for these defects, this compensation is still accompanied by considerable variations in the contact pressure, said variations inevitably entailing instability of the electrical characteriics of the changes.

A known way of partly remedying these drawbacks consists in using a flexible jaw as a fixed contact, inside which jaw a flat ri id movable contact is displaced, said contact having a length such that it is engaged in two jaws simultaneously. But in that case the contact pressures are necessarily high and so therefore is the force required for movement, and the limitation of the latter for an easy operation also means a limitation in the num ber of contact changes to be simultaneously effected. Apart from this and also by reason of high contact prcssures, the resistance to wear of apparatus using this arrangement is small.

3,198,895 Patented Aug. 3, 1965 The present invention has for an object the provision of a switch, the operating movement of which is rectilinear and has only two positions and which allows as many bipolar changes as are necessary to be simultaneously effected, while ensuring that all the contacts made are positive and require only very small force in the maizing. To these advantages are also added a h gh resistance to wear, easy wiring, reduced size and lower price.

According to the invention there is provided a two-position electrical change-over switch, comprising support means of insulating material, a plurality of flat strip-like fixed contacts carried in line by said support means, a barshaped actuating member of insulating material mounted to slide past said fixed contacts, a bridging contact of ll-shape, the limbs of which are loosely carried by said actuating member, said U-shaped bridging member having a base to bridge between two adjacent contacts of said fixed contacts, and spring means mounted within said actuating member to urge said bridging member in selfaligning manner against said two adiacent fixed contacts.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which show one embodiment thereof by way of example only and in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a front view of a switch, comprising two or more un ts but the two enos only of which are shown, and on of which is sectioned along the line Il of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 2 shows a side view of the unit which is sectioned in FIGURE 1 and also being sectioned along the line ll-l'l of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 3 shows an end view sectioned along the line llllll of EEGURE l.

The units are aligned in sequence along the rectilinear line of movement AA. Each unit comprises a fixed portion and a movable portion.

The fixed portion of the unit comprises:

(1) A first group of three fixed contacts in the form of conductive strips 1, the surfaces of contact of which are arranged transversely a plane parallel to the rectilinear line of movement AA, the intermediate surface being equidistant from the two others.

(2) A second series of three other conductive strips 2, the surfaces of contact of which are arranged in a plane parallel to and facing the preceding one.

These two groups of conductive strips are secured between two insulating support members in the form of plates 3 each of the fixed contact strips passing through both of these plates but being held between them by tongues 5 and 6 which project away from said plates.

The ends of the strip whic project on either side, are provided with a recess as shown in the drawings, or with a hole to receive one or more connections.

The movable portion of the unit comprises an actuating member consisting of a slider 7 of insulating material, which can be displaced along the rectilinear line of movement AA in one direction or the other, between the two planes of contact and the two insulating plates of the fixed portion, and which has a cylindrical bore 8 transversely therethrough opening at either side toward each plane of contact. A helical spring 9 is located loose in this bore 3 and compressed between two insulating finger iii and iii which respectively slide at each end and which end on the outside in a rounded tip.

Movable contacts .2 and 13 are inserted between the slider 7 and each of the planes of contact. These movable contacts are rigid and their section may be round, as shown in the figures, or flat.

These movable contacts are U-shaped and the two parallel limbs enter cavities 14 and 15 for the contact 12, and cavities 16 and 17 for the contact 13, said cavities being formed on each side of the slider for this purpose, and the movable contacts sliding therein with a certain lay.

P As for the median portion or base of the U, its length is such that, receiving the pressure of the spring 9 on it inner face, in the centre of which the curved tip of the co-operating stud 1:) and 11 bears, its outer surface is applied against only either adjacent two of the three surfaces forming the group of contacts in the contact plane to which it is applied, bearing equally on both of them, in a self-aligning manner.

The units are assembled within a rigid frame constituted by two end elements 18 and 19, which hold them longitudinally, and by two lateral elements 29 and 21, each having two grooves in which the two insulating plates of the units are respectively located in order to hold them transversely.

The guide for the slider is provided by two rods 22 and 23, which are respectively fixed at their ends and which slide in the corresponding member 18 or 19.

The movement is a result of a thrust P exerted in one direction or the other on the rod 23. It may be limited either by the play between the slider 7 and the two members lb and 19, or as shown in the figures, by a pin 24 integral with the rod 23 and engaging in th slot 25 in the member 19. This latter arrangement has the advantage, when the rods 22 and 23 are cylindrical, of preventing the rotation of the movable members.

Since the operating device does not form an essential part of the invention, it has no been described; it might however be mentioned that it can be any arrangement which is best suited for the desired use, such as a worm and gear control, a pull-handle, a push-button or a key.

What happens in each of the units of the switch which has just been described may now very easily be seen;

According to the direction of the thrust P exerted on the rod 23, the slider 7 is fixed in one or other of the two permissible positions. With it it takes the two movable contacts 12 and 13 which respectively come into position facing two of the three fixed contacts forming the contact planes and at the same time the movable contacts are applied against the fixed contacts under the effect of the pressure exerted at their centre, thus in the middle of the space separating the two surfaces, by the common spring 9 compressed in the bore 8. This pressure is transmitted to said movable contacts 12 and 13 by means of the insulating studs 10' and 11 which engage said contacts by their rounded tips, so that each contact is free to take up any position within the allowed limits by the play effecting its connection with the slider and that it cannot therefore fail to bear simultaneously against the two fixed contact surfaces in order electrically to connect them.

Since each of the movable contacts of the unit is alway in engagement with the contact located in the middle of the space separating the two other ones for either position of the slider, a pair of bipolar changes can thus be effected.

I claim:

1. A two-position electrical change-over slide switch, comprising two support members of insulating material mounted to oppose each other, each of said support membres carrying a plurality of sets each of three flat striplike fixed contacts of conductive material, equispatially arranged in line, each set of three fixed contacts on one support member lying opposite a set of three fixed contacts on the other support member, a bar-shaped slider of insulating material mounted to slide between said opposed sets of fixed contacts, a plurality of U-shaped moving contacts, allocated one for each set of fixed contacts, carried in pair on opposite sides of said slider, a plurality of spring means, one for each pair of said U-shaped moving contacts, located within said slider, each spring means normally biassing its associated pair of U-shaped moving contacts outwardly away from said slider to apply said moving contacts in self-aligning manner each against its allocated set of fixed contacts, the base of the U of each U-shaped moving contact being of such size as to bridge across only either two adjacent ones of its allocated set of three fixed contacts, a stud of insulating material between each of said U-shaped contacts and its associated spring means, a frame carrying said support members, said frame including an apertured end plate secured at each end of said frame, a rod secured to each end of said slider, aid rods respectively passing through said apertures in said end plates to form operating members to operate the switch and to guide the slider in its sliding movement, each sub-assembly of a pair of opposed sets of three fixed contacts, with their associated pair of U-shaped moving contacts constituting a separate cell, said switch thus comprising a plurality of said cells all arranged in succession along the axis of sliding movement of said slider, and said frame being grooved freely to receive said support members of insulating material,

2. A two-position electrical change-over slide switch, comprising two slotted support members of insulating material mounted to oppose each other, the slots in said opposed support members being in line, a plurality of sets each of three fiat strip-like fixed contacts of conductive material, equispatially arranged in line and each contact passing through a pair of said aligned slots, retaining tongues to retain said contacts on said support members, each set of three fixed contacts on one support member lying opposite a set of three fixed contacts on the other support member, a bar-shaped slider of insulating material mounted to slide between said opposed sets of fixed contacts, a plurality of U-shaped moving contacts, allocated one for each set of fixed contacts, carried in pairs on opposite sides of said slider, a plurality of spring means, one for each pair of said U-shaped moving contacts, located within said slider, each spring means normally biassing its associated pair of U-shaped moving contacts outwardly away from said slider to apply said moving contacts in self-aligning manner each against its allocated set of fixed contacts, the base of the U of each U-shaped moving contact being of such size as to bridge across only either two adjacent ones of its allocated set of three fixed contacts, a stud of insulating material between each of said U-shaped contacts and its associated spring means, a frame carrying said support members, said frame including an apertured end plate secured at each end of said frame, a rod at each end of said slider, said rods respectively passing through said apertures in said end plates to form operating members to operate the switch and to guide the slider in its sliding movement, each sub-assembly of a pair of opposed sets of three fixed contacts with their associated pair of U-shaped moving contacts constituting a separate cell, said switch thus comprising a plurality of said cells all arranged in succession along the axis of sliding movement of said slider, and said frame being grooved freely to receive said support members of insulating material.

3. A two-position electrical change-over slide switch, comprising two slotted support members of insulating material mounted to oppose each other, the slots of said opposed support members being in line, a plurality of sets each of three fiat strip-like fixed contacts of conductive material, equispatially arranged in line and each contact passing through a pair of said aligned slots, retaining tongues to retain said contacts on said support members, each set of three fixed contacts on one support member lying opposite a set of three fixed contacts on the other support member, a transversely cylindrically-bored barshaped slider of insulating material mounted to slide between said opposed sets of fixed contacts, a plurality of U-shaped moving contacts, allocated one for each set of fixed contacts, carried in pairs on opposite sides of said slider, a plurality of spring means, one for each pair of said U-shaped moving contacts, each located within one of said bores in said slider, each spring means normally OUQ biassing its associated pair U-shaped moving contacts outwardly away from said slider to apply said moving contacts in self-aligning manner each against its allocated set of fixed contacts, the base of the U of each U-shaped moving contact being of such size as to bridge across only either two adjacent ones of its allocated set of three fixed contacts, a stud of insulating material between each of said U-shaped contacts and its associated spring means, a frame carrying said support members, said frame including an apertured end plate secured at each end of said frame, a rod at each end of said slider, said rods respectively passing through said apertures in said end plates to form operating members to operate the switch and to guide the slider in its sliding movement, each subssembly of a pair of opposed sets of tnree fixed contacts with their associated pair of U-shaped moving contacts constituting a separate cell, said switch thus comprising a plurality of said cells all arranged in succession along the axis of sliding movement of said slider, and said frame being grooved freely to receive said support members of insulating material.

4. A two-position electrical change-over slide switch, comprising two slotted support members of insulating material mounted to o, ose each other, the slots of said opposed support membs carrying a plurality of sets each of three fiat strip-like fi ed contacts of conductive material, ee uispatially arranged in line, and each contact passing through a pair of said aligned slots, retaining tongues to retain said contacts on said supp rt members, each set of three fixed contacts on one support member lying opposite a set of three fixed contacts on the other support member, a transversely cylindrically-bored bar shaped slider of insulating material mounted to slide between said opposed sets of fixed contacts, a plurality of U-shaped moving contacts of bent round-section wire, allocated one for each set of fixed contacts, carried in pairs on opposite sides of said slider, a plurality of spring means, one for each pair of said U-shaped moving contacts, each located within one of said bores in said slider, each spring means normally biassing its associated pair of U-shaped moving contacts outwardly away from said slider to apply said moving contacts in self-alignin g manner each against its allocated set of fixed contacts, the base of the U of each U-shaped moving contact being of such size as to bridge across only either two adjacent ones of its allocated set of three fixed contacts, a stud of insulating material between each of said U-shaped contests and its associated spring means, said stud having a convex and abutting its U-shaped contact, a frame carrying said support member, said frame including an apertured end plate secured at each end of said frame, a rod at each end of said slider, said rods respectively passing through said apertures in said end plates to form operating members to operate the switch and to guide the slider in its sliding movement, each sub'assembly of a pair of opposed sets of three fixed contacts with their associated pair of U-shaped moving contacts constituting a separate cell, said switch thus comprising a plurality of said cells all arranged in succession along the axis of sliding movement of said slider, and said frame being grooved freely to receive said support members of insulating material.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS BERNARD A. GlLHEANY, Primary Examiner.

MAX L. LEVY, Examiner, 

1. A TWO-POSITION ELECTRICAL CHANGE-OVER SLIDE SWITCH, COMPRISING TWO SUPPORT MEMBERS OF INSULATING MATERIAL MOUNTED TO OPPOSE EACH OTHER, EACH OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBRES CARRYING A PLURALITY OF SETS ECH OF THREE FLAT STRIPLIKE FIXED CONTACTS OF CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL, EQUISPATIALLY ARRANGED IN LINE, EACH SET OF THREE FIXED CONTACTS ON ONE SUPPORT MEMBER LYING OPPOSITE A SET OF THREE FIXED CONTACTS ON THE OTHER SUPPORT MEMBER, A BAR-SHAPED SLIDER OF INSULATING MATERIAL MOUNTED TO SLIDE BETWEEN SAID OPPOSED SETS OF FIXED CONTACTS, A PLURALITY OF U-SHAPED MOVING CONTACTS, ALLOCATED ONE OF EACH SET OF FIXED CONTACTS, CARRIED IN PAIRS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SLIDER, A PLURALITY OF SPRING MEANS, ONE FOR EACH PAIR OF SAID U-SHAPED MOVING CONTACTS, LOCATED WITHIN SAID SLIDER, EACH SPRING MEANS NORMALLY BIASING ITS ASSOCIATED PAIR OF U-SHAPED MOVING CONTACTS OUTWARDLY AWAY FROM SAID SLIDER TO APPLY SAID MOVING CONTACTS IN SELF-ALIGNING MANNER EACH AGAINST ITS ALLOCATED SET OF FIXED CONTACTS, THE BASE OF THE U OF EACH U-SHAPED MOVING CONTACT BEING OF SUCH SIZE AS TO BRIDGE ACROSS ONLY EITHER TWO ADJACENT ONES OF ITS ALLOCATED SET OF THREE FIXED CONTACTS, A STUD OF INSULATING MATERIAL BETWEEN EACH OF SAID U-SHAPED CONTACTS AND ITS ASSOCIATED SPRING MEANS, A FRAME CARRYING SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS, SAID FRAME INCLUDING AN APERTURED END PLATE SECURED AT EACH END OF SAID FRAME, A ROD SECURED TO EACH END OF SAID SLIDER, SAID RODS RESPECTIVELY PASSING THROUGH SAID APERTURES IN SAID END PLATES TO FORM OPERATING MEMBERS TO OPERATE THE SWITCH AND TO GUIDE THE SLIDER IN ITS SLIDING MOVEMENT, EACH SUB-ASSEMBLY OF A PAIR OF OPPOSED SETS OF THREE FIXED CONTACTS, WITH THEIR ASSOCIATED PAIR OF U-SHAPED MOVING CONTACTS CONSTITUTING A SEPARATE CELL, SAID SWITCH THUS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SAID CELLS ALL ARRANGED IN SUCCESSION ALONG THE AXIS OF SLIDING MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDER, AND SAID FRAME BEING GROOVED FREELY TO RECEIVE SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS OF INSULATING MATERIAL. 